This Girl's Friend Couldn't Afford a Dress for Formal, So She Collected 167 Dresses for Her to Choose From

When Emily Moffitt, a 13-year-old from Middletown, Del., learned her friend couldn't afford to buy a dress for their school's spring formal, she knew she wanted to take action. What Emily didn't know was that her idea would reach people across country — and end up helping lots of other girls in the process.

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Emily shared the story of her friend (whose name has not been disclosed) in an interview with Philadelphia's 6ABC. "She told me that her father had been unemployed, and her mother was struggling to support six people on one salary," Emily explained.

So three weeks ago, Emily went on her town's website and posted a call for dress donations. Her goal was to find her friend something beautiful to wear, then donate any extra dresses to charity. But word of Emily's idea quickly spread on social media, and dozens of dresses ended up pouring in from as far away as Florida. To date, she's received 167 — plus tons of jewelry and shoes — with at least 100 more dresses on the way.

6abc

Now more people in Emily's community are getting involved to match the donated dresses with other deserving girls. Later this month, girls will be able to browse the dresses at a storefront donated by a local business owner and have alterations done for free. Free hair appointments will be available on the day of the dance.

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Emily's friend didn't realize she was the inspiration for the event until the 6ABC aired the segment this week, the network's anchor reported.

If you have a formal dress you'd like to donate, email Emily's mom, Dawn Moffitt, here.

Hannah Orenstein is the assistant features editor at Seventeen.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram!